Cuddyer's 3-run blast helps Twins halt losing streak at 3

Minnesota Twins' Craig Monroe hits an RBI-single off Texas Rangers pitcher Sidney Ponson in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 26, 2008, in Arlington, Texas. At left is Texas Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

ARLINGTON, Texas—Michael Cuddyer hit a three-run homer and the Minnesota Twins ended a three-game losing streak with a 12-6 victory over the stumbling Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

Texas, which has lost eight of its last nine, fell short of its third two-game winning streak of the season. Manager Ron Washington's job status remains in question.

The Rangers (8-17) have already set a franchise record for April defeats, and they continued their sloppy defensive play with three errors.

Delmon Young keyed a three-run seventh inning with a two-run single and Brendan Harris went 3-for-4 for the Twins.

David Murphy had a career-high three RBIs and Josh Hamilton had three hits for Texas.

With the game tied at 5, the Twins loaded the bases in the seventh against Jamey Wright (1-1) and ex-Twin Eddie Guardado. Young's two-run single off Franklyn German put the Twins in front, and Mike Lamb followed with an RBI single to extend Minnesota's lead to 8-5.

Joe Mauer's RBI single in the eighth stretched the Twins' advantage to 9-5, and Cuddyer's three-run blast later in the inning put the game out of reach.

Dennys Reyes (1-0) allowed one hit in two-thirds of an inning for the win.

Sidney Ponson, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma to make the start for Texas, lasted 5 1-3 innings in his first big-league appearance in almost a year. He allowed five runs -- one earned -- and seven hits.

Ponson, 1-2 with a 3.47 ERA at Oklahoma, last started on May 12, for Minnesota against Detroit.

Twins starter Scott Baker left the game in the fifth inning with a mild groin strain.

The Twins were trailing 4-2 when Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire and a team trainer went to the mound to check on Baker. After talking with Baker, Gardenhire summoned right-hander Matt Guerrier from the bullpen.

Baker gave up five runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings, but the Twins scored three unearned runs in the sixth to tie it at 5 and take Baker off the hook for the loss.

Notes:@ Texas' Ian Kinsler has been on base in all 24 games this season, the longest current streak in the AL. It matches the third longest in franchise history. ... Minnesota has won eight of its last 11 against Texas. ...The Rangers were without 3B Hank Blalock, who'll also miss Sunday's game with a strained left hamstring. Blalock injury himself running out a 10th-inning double on Friday night. Blalock said he will be reevaluated on Tuesday and if there's no improvement he could be headed for the 15-day DL. Vazquez started at 3B in place of Blalock. ... DH Milton Bradley (hamstring) was back in the Texas lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury. ... To open a roster spot for Ponson, the Rangers sent RHP Kazuo Fukumori to Oklahoma. ... Twins RHP Bobby Korecky pitched the ninth in his big-league debut.